Top 10 most viral Super Bowl commercials of all time

January 11, 2013 / 5:37 PM
/ CBS NEWS

In this file screen shot provided by Volkswagen of America, a child actor portraying Darth Vader, uses the Force on a 2012 Volkswagen Passat, in a 2011 Super Bowl ad. Volkswagen charmed millions of viewers last year with a
File,AP Photo/Volkswagen of America

You might not remember the final score of the game, but you'll always remember the most memorable Super Bowl ads.

Visible Measures, an analytics and advertising platform for online video, has monitored what Super Bowl ads people are watching online and compiled a list of the top ten most viewed videos. While more recent spots seem to be more popular, there are definitely some surprises on the list.

Top 10 most viral Super Bowl commercials of all time

10. "1984" (Apple)

Approximate number of views: 12,919,675

This ad from 1984 might be decades older than the competition, but it's still a fan favorite. Heavily inspired by the George Orwell book of the same name, the strong imagery of the commercial has helped this ad become one of the most iconic Super Bowl commercials of all time and helped cement Apple as one of America's favorite tech brands.

Top 10 most viral Super Bowl commercials of all time

9. "Love Hurts" (Pepsi Max - Crash the Super Bowl 2011)

Approximate number of views: 14,491,242

This advertisement drew a lot of attention of its depiction of female violence against men. Some critics felt that it portrayed the negative stereotype of "angry black woman," while others thought it was being taken too seriously. Either way it prompted many people to check the ad out online, long after the Super Bowl was over.

Top 10 most viral Super Bowl commercials of all time

8. "Free Doritos" (Doritos - Crash the Super Bowl 2009)

Approximate number of views: 14,975,878

Like the commercial in the number nine spot, this ad was made as part of the popular "Crash the Super Bowl" contest, which invited people to create their own memorable television advertisement. The public then checked out the videos on YouTube and voted their favorite video, boosting the ad's views online. The big prize? The winner had their commercial shown during the Super Bowl.

Top 10 most viral Super Bowl commercials of all time

7."Ozzy and Bieber" (2011, Best Buy)

Approximate number of views: 16,390,590

Some would say it's Ozzy Osbourne's hilarious scatter-brained antics that make people want to watch this over and over again, but it's popularity is probably due to Bieber fever. Either way, viewers loved watching both artists poking fun at themselves.

Top 10 most viral Super Bowl commercials of all time

6. E*Trade Baby 2009 (E*Trade)

Approximate number of views: 22,945,131

If there's something that the public loves, it's cute babies in commercials. E*Trade tried out this formula in 2009, and their young spokesperson has been an integral part of their ad campaigns ever since.

Top 10 most viral Super Bowl commercials of all time

4. E*Trade Super Bowl Commercial 2010 (E*Trade)

Approximate number of views: 25,635,748

Proving that any publicity is good publicity, this advertisement became a news item when Lindsay Lohan sued E*Trade over the commercial. The babies talk about a "milkaholic Lindsay," which Lohan felt was directly poking fun at her. The lawsuit was eventually withdrawn without prejudice according to the L.A. Times, but not before millions of people ran to their computers to check out what all the fuss was about.

Top 10 most viral Super Bowl commercials of all time

3. "Pug Attack" (Doritos - Crash the Super Bowl 2011)

Approximate number of views: 36,864,530

This ad featured another perennial fan favorite subject: a dog. Another "Crash the Superbowl" winner, this humorous spot features a pooch besting a man who was trying to taunt the animal with Doritos. Owners know when it comes to getting treats, a dog will do anything for that tasty morsel.

Top 10 most viral Super Bowl commercials of all time

2. "Casket" (Doritos - Crash the Super Bowl 2010)

Approximate number of views: 50,373,778

Everyone likes a good excuse to get out of work, and this "Crash the Super Bowl" winner took one wacky idea and spun it into a commercial. Mixing a bit of dark humor in with your Super Bowl ad can be tricky, but it worked for this Doritos spot.

Top 10 most viral Super Bowl commercials of all time

1. "The Force" Volkswagen (2011)

Approximate number of views: 68,305,506

This commercial takes the number one spot for many reasons. First, it appeals to people's nostalgia for childhood. Second, it appeals to people's nostalgia for "Star Wars." Finally, it appeals to people's childhood nostalgia for "Star Wars."

Top 10 most viral Super Bowl commercials of all time

Worth mentioning

This year, Visual Measures has already noticed some 2012 ads that were pre-released online that are already beating some of the commercials on the top ten list.